Leading subsea technology manufacturer Sonardyne International Ltd. is celebrating winning the Queen's Award for Enterprise in Innovation for its 6G® underwater product range. Announced on Monday 21st April, the Queen's Award for Enterprise recognizes and encourages commercial success resulting from outstanding innovative achievements by businesses in the UK. These are conferred by HM Queen Elizabeth II, on advice of the Prime Minister, and are the highest award a UK business can receive.
Headquartered in Yateley, Hampshire, UK, with regional offices in Aberdeen, Brazil, Houston, Plymouth and Singapore, Sonardyne is recognized as a pioneer in the design and manufacture of underwater acoustic positioning, inertial navigation, wireless communications and sonar technology. Users for the Company's technology are found within the offshore energy, ocean research and maritime security industries. The Company was founded in 1971 by John Partridge and today remains privately owned, employing 310 people worldwide, 265 of which are based in the UK.
Launched in 2010, Sonardyne's award winning 6G (Sixth Generation) technology platform was judged to have addressed users' needs for underwater technology that is low risk, versatile and easy to use. Its performance over the previous generation technology can be likened to the difference between analogue and digital mobile telecommunications. 6G products have made an impact on diverse subsea operations around the world and, in 2013/14, were exported to 55 different countries.
"We are immensely proud and honored to have won The Queen's Award for Enterprise in Innovation with our ground-breaking development of 6G," said John Ramsden, Sonardyne's Managing Director. "When we set out down the path towards 6G, we wanted to develop a family of products that would maximize operational efficiencies and, at the same time, simplify use and minimize costs for our clients. Four years of export success, culminating in this prestigious award, is recognition of our achievements. 6G has brought tangible benefits wherever it has been put to work and is helping to redefine the way in which we explore our oceans and realize our global energy needs."
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